Vettel’s success hurting Silverstone ticket sales

May 2 (GMM/Inautonews.com) Sebastian Vettel’s success is hurting ticket sales for next month’s British grand prix, organisers of the Silverstone race claim.

Admitting that ticket sales are 10 per cent down compared to last year, the circuit’s managing director Richard Phillips said a boost in form for Jenson Button or Lewis Hamilton would help to turn it around.

He added: “Sebastian Vettel is doing extremely well and so are Red Bull.

“Personally I think he is a great driver and I love Red Bull, but it would be nice if they didn’t win all the time.

“I think the needle-movers are going to be basically ‘not Vettel’.”

Reigning triple world champion Vettel has won two of the four races so far in 2013 and is leading the drivers’ championship from Kimi Raikkonen by 10 points.

Another problem, Phillips said, is that the memories of last year’s weather chaos – where paying spectators were actually turned away on qualifying day – are hurting ticket sales.

“You know there is going to be a slight rebound because of that,” he said.